A Warrior’s Fate (Wolves of Morai #1)

Chapter 48

CHAPTER 48

KAI

I t was too quiet.

Everything was somehow so loud —but too quiet.

Head aching, pulse thrumming, Kai looked up at the bloodied man before him.

A pool of crimson lay around Brax’s limp body, oozing from his eyes, nose, mouth, ears, and the deep gashes in his skull made by the rogue’s own claws,like he’d fallen from his shift and just gone—mad.

“Isla.”

To his call, Kai heard nothing back. He felt nothing there. Just cold and darkness. Just him .

The gates were opening, and the crowd who could now get to the floor rushed towards him in a wave of flailing arms and cheering. But—

She’d been fading away, and he’d felt it before—too many damn times. Something was wrong, and it was all he could do to hold her and keep her there. Keep her here with him.

“Isla.”

He didn’t know what happened–or rather, how it happened.He knew what he did.

He pushed. Let himself into that void festering inside him.

It had been beckoning to him for months, this power. A taunt, a haunting that all his problems would be solved if he embraced it. Used it. A gift it was, it told him. And he needed the fight to be over. Needed to find her .

So, he gave in.

“Isla!”

People were behind him—talking to him, gawking at him, beholding Brax’s body with curious, disdainful stares and confused words. There was a hand on his back, and Kai whirled with a snarl that made Ezekiel stumble. Made everyone stumble.Made them cower. Made them bow.

The power writhed in his gut, rising, calling him to use it again.

The beta had lied. For months. Was still hiding things. Had to know what he was doing to Kai, to his own daughter. What he was risking for the pack.

Kai could end it here, he knew. He could end a lot here. If he got his hands on Cassius…

But—

Get out. Get out. Get out.

Those had been Brax’s pleas that he couldn’t speak—because Kai had taken them away.

The rogue had been rendered silent to all but primal screams as he thrashed, clawing at himself to rid his mind of whatever was inside. Whatever had snuck in through barriers and shields and tore him to ruin.

Kai didn’t know how he did it, but he’d broken him. And if he didn’t pull back now, he wouldn’t just shatter Ezekiel or Cassius. He felt like he’d shatter the world.

Rhydian and Ameera emerged from the crowd. Davina, Jonah, and eventually Adrien, but no Isla. No Sebastian, either.

It’s just a run.

No. She wasn’t there. He couldn’t feel her.

Kai lifted his head and howled.

And everything stopped.